THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS IS
ESPECIALLY DEADLY FOR OLDER
PEOPLE WITH UNDERLYING
CONDITIONS.
THESE PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED HIGH
RISK.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHAT
SHOULD THEY DO?
FOR ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS
AND MORE, WE TURN ONCE AGAIN TO
DR. NASIA SAFDAR, THE MEDICAL
DIRECTOR OF INFECTION CONTROL AT
UW HOSPITALS AND CLINICS AND
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHAT FIRST IS THE
CIRCUMSTANCE AT YOUR HOSPITAL IN
TERMS OF ICU BEDS FILLED AND
PATIENTS NEEDING REST RESPIRATORS AND
THE LIKE.
>> AT THE MOMENT WE'RE NOT
SEEING THAT.
IT'S INEVITABLE AT SOME POINT
THAT WILL HAP.
>> YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY
TREATING ANYONE WITH COVID-19.
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> WITH THIS OUTBREAK NOW, DO
WISCONSIN HOSPITALS HAVE THE
CAPACITY AND EQUIPMENT TO TREAT
VERY SICK PATIENTS WITH THIS
CORONAVIRUS?
>> I THINK IT DEPENDS.
I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
CAN PREPARE, I THINK MOST HEALTH
SYSTEMS HAVE DEVELOPED
PREPAREDNESS PLANS OR COLLECTING
SUPPLIES AND MAKING SURE WE'RE
COORDINATING.
IT MAY BE IF THIS IS VERY SEVERE
WE MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY
PREPARED FOR THE WORST POSSIBLE
SCENARIO.
FOR WHAT WE THINK LIKELY TO
HAPPEN, WE FEEL WE ARE PREPARED.
>> HOW DOES THE DECLARATION OF
AN EMERGENCY COME INTO PLAY IN
TERMS OF YOUR PREPAREDNESS
PLANS?
>> WELL, I THINK IT ALLOWS FOR
BETTER COORDINATION ACROSS
SYSTEMS FOR SHARING OF SUPPLIES,
OF RESOURCES, OF POTENTIALLY
STAFFING IF THERE WAS A
WORKFORCE SHORTAGE. ALL THOSE REASONS IT
PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY IN MANAGING
THOSE CRUCIAL ASPECTS OF CARE.
>> DO YOU EXPECT THAT MEASURES
BEING TAKEN TO LIMIT CROWDS AND
UNIVERSITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, GOING
TO ONLINE CLASSES WILL ALLOW
THAT SO-CALLED FLATTENING OUT OF
CASES TO LET HOSPITALS LIKE
YOURS MANAGE SMALLER WAVES OF
PATIENTS AS OPPOSED TO HAVING
LIKE A SURGE ALL AT ONCE?
>> I THINK IT'S THE ONLY MEASURE
WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US TO ALLOW
US TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE.
THE QUESTION IS PEOPLE NEED TO
ENFORCE IT AND ADHERE TO IT TO
AVOID THESE MASS GATHERINGS AND
EVENTS WHERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
ARE CONGREGATED TOGETHER.
>> IS THAT A CONCERN OF YOURS,
THAT PEOPLE WILL TAKE IT VERY
LIGHTLY?
>> IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT
WE'RE USED TO.
WE THINK ALL WILL BE FINE.
WHILE THAT'S THE CASE FOR THE
MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION,
THERE'S A CERTAIN SEGMENT THAT
ISN'T IN THAT BOAT.
>> AS TO THOSE AT HIGHEST RISK,
OLDER PEOPLE AND THOSE WITH
COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS, HOW
DANGEROUS IS THIS FOR THEM?
>> FOR THAT GROUP, THIS VIRUS
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY
DEADLY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPLICATION
RATE, THE SEVERITY OF ILLNESS,
THE DEATH RATES FROM COVID-19,
IT'S THAT POPULATION THAT IS
LIKELY TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF IT.
>> THE GUIDANCE IS THAT THOSE AT
HIGHEST RISK OVER AGE 60 AND
WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS
SHOULD SELF-ISOLATE?
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THEY SHOULD AVOID MASS
GATHERINGS.
THEY SHOULD AVOID PUBLIC PLACES
WHERE THERE'S PEOPLE
CONGREGATING TOGETHER, YES.
>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UNDERLYING
CONDITIONS, WHAT ARE THOSE?
>> ANY CHRONIC CONDITION, LUNG
DISEASE, HEART DISEASE, IMMUNE
COMPROMISE, ORGAN
TRANSPLANTATION, RENAL DISEASE
OR KIDNEY DAMAGE.
THOSE ARE ALL CONDITIONS TO BE
CONCERNED WITH.
>> WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE
POPULATION DOES THIS REPRESENT?
>> CONSIDERABLE AND GROWING
POPULATION.
IF YOU THINK OF AGE 60 AND
OLDER, THAT'S A LARGE PROPORTION
OF OUR POPULATION.
>> WELL, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT
THIS POPULATION CAN DO TO TRY TO
-- OTHER THAN AVOIDING MASS
GATHERINGS TO TRY TO PREVENT
THIS?
>> I THINK AVOIDING SICK PEOPLE
TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY CAN.
EXPOSURE TO SOMEONE WHO IS ILL,
EVEN IF IT'S A MILD ILLNESS.
SO THIS POPULATION IS MAYBE
TAKING CARE OF GRANDCHILDREN OR
FAMILY MEMBERS AND DOING BABYSIT
ISING
BABY-SITTING FOR LOVED ONES.
YOU WANT TO AVOID COMING INTO
CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WITH A
REST
RESPIRATORY ILLNESS.
>> WHAT WOULD SYMPTOMS OF THIS
CORONAVIRUS LOOK LIKE?
>> THE EARLY SYMPTOMS CAN BE
PRETTY ATTENUATED BECAUSE THEIR
IMMUNE SYSTEM IS COMPROMISED.
THEY MIGHT NOT GET THE HIGH
FEVER.
THEY HAVE TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR MILD SYMPTOMS.
THE SECOND WEEK THEY HAVE TO
REALLY LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT
THEIR SYMPTOMS TO MAKE SURE THEY
ARE RECOVERING FOR WHAT MIGHT
SEEMINGLY BE A MILD CONDITION.
>> WHAT SHOULD THEY DO IF THEY
SEE THESE KINDS OF SYMPTOMS,
EVEN IF THEY SEEM MILD?
>> THEY SHOULD CALL THEIR HEALTH
CARE PROVIDER.
I DON'T RECOMMEND PEOPLE COME
INTO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
BECAUSE YOU PUT YOUR RECEIVING
AT RISK IF YOU DO THAT.
SO CALLING AHEAD AND MAKING
ARRANGEMENTS TO FIND OUT IF THEY
NEED TO BE TESTED AND THEN TO BE
TESTED IF IT'S